Michigan to require most prison staff to wear body cameras
by Yue Stella Yu (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Jonathan Lancaster had big plans for his release from prison: Get remarried, meet his grandchild for the first time and move to Florida, his sister Danielle Dunn recalled. “He was very much looking forward to coming home,” Dunn, 47, told Bridge Michigan. But Lancaster never did. In […]
Michigan’s new hands-free driving law now in effect. What to know
by Janelle D. James (Bridge Michigan , Paul Stryker & Erik Lominchar, (BridgeDetroit) Michigan’s new distracted driving law took effect Friday, just as some 1.5 million residents hit the road for the Fourth of July holiday weekend. To ensure drivers get the message, the Michigan Department of Transportation plans 37 signs that read “Michigan Law hands-free device use only” at the state […]
Michigan dentists are learning to help, treat the developmentally disabled
by Riley Hodder (Bridge Michigan) JACKSON — Inside a dentist office in Jackson, the hallways are decorated with pictures of people with disabilities and the dental care rooms feature soothing lights and noise machines. Nearby, in a sensory room at the Center for Family Health Dental Clinic, there is a fluffy green carpet and dark blue curtains […]
U.S. Supreme Court affirmative action ban already playing out in Michigan
by Isabel Lohman (Bridge Michigan) U.S. colleges and universities are banned from using race as a consideration in admissions decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday, a prohibition Michigan had already placed on its public universities since 2006. The court’s six conservative justices put an emphatic, if unsurprising, end to decades of affirmative action practices […]
More Michigan teens hit the brakes on learning to drive
by Irena Li (Bridge Michigan) As the youngest in her grade, Rachel Hammond, a teen in the early 1990s, watched for a year as her peers showed off their new cars and driving skills. After passing her road test as soon as she turned 16, Hammond was finally able to drive her parents’ Honda Civic […]
Panel to keep young people in Michigan includes one person under 40 so far
by Ron French (Bridge Michigan) The 16 Michigan residents named Friday to serve on a state commission focusing on population growth range from community and business leaders, to a university president to a former Republican lieutenant governor. One thing most have in common: they’re at least a generation older than the young adults the state […]
Michigan passes $21.5B school budget with boost for at-risk students
by Isabel Lohman, Bridge Michigan LANSING — The Michigan Legislature passed a $21.5 billion school K-12 budget Wednesday night that includes a significant funding increase for students considered to be “at risk” of not meeting educational goals. It’s the first education budget since Democrats took full control of the Legislature and governor’s office this year, and reflects […]
Charges filed in signature fraud scandal that rocked Michigan governor race
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Two petition firm owners have been arrested, and a third is being sought by authorities, as they face a slew of felonies stemming from a signature fraud scandal that disqualified leading Republicans from last year’s gubernatorial primary and prompted calls for reform. Attorney General Dana Nessel announced the […]
Long COVID remains a debilitating medical mystery for Michigan sufferers
by Irena Li (Bridge Michigan) Jeff Whitmer used to enjoy his free time running around with his kids and playing softball. An architect and father of two living in Sylvan Lake, Whitmer now lives a much more sedentary lifestyle. He primarily works from home, and is struggling to get back to his life three years […]
How a Michigan hospital is acting to save lives of Black pregnant women
by Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) DETROIT—On a recent afternoon, Rob Barron, a paramedic, stepped into the Detroit home that Kayla Sturkey, 20, shares with her mother, teenage brother and the home’s newest resident: Kayla’s week-old son, Abel. The room is filled with the evidence of new life: a baby blue mylar balloon, a tidy bassinet […]
